Draft rigging



Nov. 21, 1933.

H. J. LOUNSBURY DRAFT RIGGING Filed May 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l /n:fen for Harz/eg J. Lounsbu rg Nov. 21, 1933. H. J. LouNsBuRY DRAFTRIGGING 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1932 /mfemor Hanf g [Launsburg Bg@b/f Mfg- Patented Nov. 21, 1933 PATENT OFFICE:Y

d DRAFT RIGGING Harvey J. Lounsbury, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to W. H.Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporationY of Delaware Application May25, 193.2.v serialNo. 613,414

Claims.

Another object of the invention is to providel a center` buffer of highcapacity for the end of a mine car, wherein the high buiiing capacity 1gis obtained through the use vof a plurality of shock absorbing springs,which are'compressed against the end of they car by a single buflinghead, and wherein certain of the shock absorbing springs of the bufiingmeans are made availl2() able to absorb draft shocks by compressing theshock absorbing springs against the buliing head.

Other objects of the invention will moreclearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is abroken away, horizontal,

sectional view through one end of a mine car,

illustrating myV improvements in connection therewith. lFigure 2 is anend elevational view,

partly broken away, looking .toward the right in 1 Figure 1. Figures 3and 4 are horizontal, longitudinal, sectional views, correspondingrespectively Ato the lines B-Sand 4 4 of Figure 2. And Figures 5 and 6are vertical, longitudinal,

sectional views, corresponding respectively to the lines5-5 and 6 6 ofFigurel.

In said( drawings, 10 designates the floor 'of a mine car, l11 the endWall, and l2 the end sill. As clearly shown in Figure 6, the end sill 12is of angular cross'sectionV and is riveted or otherwise secured to theend wall 11.

My improved draft rigging is applied tothe end ofthe car as a unit andcomprises a bufiing head A, av ,supporting4 member B secured to the endwall ofthe car, a transversely disposed draft beam C, upper and lowerpairs of coil spring members D-D andVE-E, and a coupling link Fconnected to the draft beam C.

The supporting member B comprises top and bottom, horizontally disposed,spaced arms 13-13 connected by a vertical end wall 14.v As most clearlyshown in Figure 1, the end wall 14 extends laterally beyond the oppositesides of the arms 13-.-l3. The end wall of the supporting member B issecured to the vertical end wall 11 of the mine car by any suitablemeans, such as rivets 15 and 16 extending through the walls 11 and 14.As shown, the rivets 16 also extend through the vertical iiange of theend sill member 12. The end wall is also provided with a forwardlyprojecting, horizontally disposed shelf 17 midway between the top andbottom arms 13-13, as clearly shown in Figure 5. The shelf 1'7 serves assupporting means for guiding the transversely disposed draft beam C inits movements.

The bufiing head A has a vertical outer end wall 18 provided with atransversely curved, outer bufing surface which cooperates with asimilar bufling head A on the adjacent car. The buiilng head Ahas topand bottom walls V19--19 and vertical side walls 20-20 extendingrearwardly from the outer end Wall 18 thereof. A hollowbufling head isthus provided, within which the spring shock absorbing members D-D andE-E Yare housed. VThe top and bottom walls 19-19 are accommodatedbetween the top and bottom arms 13-l3`of the supporting member B, thebufling head A being thus in effect telescoped within the supportingmember.

The draft beam C has a transverse rear end wall 22, which normally bearson the end wall 14 of the supporting member B. Relatively short top andbottom walls 23-23 and relatively short vertical side walls`24-24 extendforwardly from the wall g5 22, VAt the center, the top and bottom walls23-23 of the draft beam C are enlarged so as to provide forwardlyprojecting sections 25-25, which overlap rearwardly projecting sections26-26 on the top and bottom walls 1.9-19 of the buihng head A. 90 Theoverlapping sections 25-25 of the draft beam C and 26-26 of the buinghead A are slotted, as indicated at 27-27 and 28-28 respectively, toaccommodate vertically arranged connecting bolts`29-29, which aresecured to the bottom and 95 top arms 13-13 of the supporting member B.The slots 28-28 of the bufling head A are so arranged that the bufiinghead is normally held against outward movement, but inward movementthereof is permitted during a buing action. The slots 27-27 of the draftmember Care so arranged as to permit the necessary outward movement ofthe draft member. As shown in Figure 3, the adjacent ends of the sidewalls of the buiilng head A and the draft member C are normally spacedapart s o as to allow for the necessary relative movement of these twomembers.

The shock absorbing springs D-D and E--E oppose inward movement of thebuiiing head A when builng shocks are transmitted to the buispectivelyon the inner side of the end wall 18 of the bufllng head A and on theforward side of the end wall 14 of the supporting member B, In order tomaintain the springs E -E properly centeredV and prevent lateraldisplacement thereof, both the bufling head and the rear wall of thesupporting member B are provided with inwardly projecting bosses, whichengage within the coils of the springs, as clearly illustrated in Figure4. The pair of upper springs D-D are also held in properly centeredposition by means of rearwardly projecting lugs at theupper endrof ,thefront Wall 18 of the bufling head A.Y All the springs D-Dand E-E arepreferably under slight initial compression when the parts areassembled.

V.".l'he coupling link F is connected to the draft beam C by means of acoupling pin 30 extending through the top and Ybottom arms 23-23 of thedraftbeam kC substantially at the center of said beam. The link Fisaccommodated between these portions of the arms 23-23, as clearly shownin Figure 5, and extends through an opening 3-1 provided in the frontwall 18 of the buiiing head A.

4The Ytop Wall 19A of the buiiing head A is slotted with the opening 32vto accommodate the headof the pin for movement and permit the pin tothe draft beam C, f

The operation of my improved mine car draft rigging is as follows: Upona buffng shock being application of transmitted to the buing head A, thehead is forced inwardly toward the car, compressing both pairs ofsprings D-D- and E-E against the rear or end wall 14 of the supportingmember B. The upper pair of springs D`-D, which bear at their rear endson the draft beam C, are directly compressed against said beam, which isbuttressed on the end wall 14 of the supporting member B. Inwardmovement of the buing head A is limited by engagement of the inner endsof the side walls l of the head with the front ends of the side walls ofthe draft beam and also by engagement of the front end walls of theslots 28-28 of the b ufling head A with the retaining bolts 29-29. Whenthe buing force is reduced, the bufling head A is re- A turned to thenormal position shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.

- Upon a pulling action being applied' to the coupling link F in draft,the beam C will be pulled outwardly away from the car,therebycomvpressing the pair of springs D-D against the tion shown inFigures 3, 5, and 6.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawings, itwill be evident that I have provided a bufflng and draft device ofexceedingly simple and efficient design, which may be applied as a unitto the end of a mine car. Further, the arrangement of parts, as shown,provides a compact structure wherein the bufiing shocks are absorbedby aplurality of springs and thedraft shocks are taken care of by a portiononly of said springs, thus providing higher shock absorbing capacity inbuff than in draft and utilizing a minimum number of shock absorbingsprings, thereby reducing the number of parts of the device.V Y

Another advantage of my improved design is that the pulling forceexerted by the coupling element is applied tothe draft beamY in such amanner that the pressure on the shock absorbing vsprings is equallydistributed, thereby preventing tilting of the draft beam with respectto the coupling Vlink and other parts of the device and avoidingexcessive wear of the parts and adding to the life of the-entiremechanism.

Ihave herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. `In a draft rigging for cars, thecombination with a central buinghead-at the'end of the carl movable inwardly toward the car in buff; oftwo sets of shock absorbing Vdevices opposing inward movement of thebufling head, one of said sets` being disposed above the other; and anoutwardly movable draft member actuating one only of said sets of shockabsorbing devices in draft. y

2. Ina draft rigging for cars, the combinationwith a'buing headatftheend of the car, said head being movable inwardly toward the car in buff;of a transversely disposed draft beam;

coupler means connected centrally of the draft f beam and pulling thebeam outwardly away from the car in draft; and upper and lower pairs ofshock absorbing devices yieldingly opposing movement of the buiilng headtoward the car, said upper pair of shock absorbing devices also yieldringly opposing outward movement of the draft beam, said lower pair ofdevices,` being V inactive during draft. Y y y 3. In a draft rigging forcars, the combination with aninwardly movable center bufiing head at nthe end of the car; of upper and lower pairs of springs yieldinglyopposing inward movement of the buing head; and `a transversely disposedpullingmember at the corresponding end'of the can-said pulling memberengaging one of said pairs'of springs only to oppose outward movement ofthe pulling member in a draft action.` 4

4. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with 'an inwardlymovable center bufling head at the end of the car; of upper and lowerpairs of springs bearing at their outer ends on said head; fixedabutment means on the corresponding end of the car, on which the innerends of the lower pair of springs bear; and a Ytransversely disposedbeam at said end of the car, said beam vbeing interposed between theabutment means and the upper pair of springs, entirely clearing the'lower springs andvhaving engagement with said upper springs only tocompress the same in draft, said draft beam being lmovable away from thecar in draft and said buffing head being held of one .of said pairs ofsprings bear; and an out- Vwardly'movable draft member entirely clearingsaid last named pair of springs and bearing on the inner ends of thesprings of the other pair to actuate said last named pair only, saiddraft member being interposed between said last named pair of springsand said abutment means.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY.

